James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

CG Art

Contact

or by email:gurneyjourney (at) gmail.comSorry, I can't give personal art advice or portfolio reviews. If you can, it's best to ask art questions in the blog comments.

Permissions

All images and text are copyright 2015 James Gurney and/or their respective owners. Dinotopia is a registered trademark of James Gurney. For use of text or images in traditional print media or for any commercial licensing rights, please email me for permission.

However, you can quote images or text without asking permission on your educational or non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you give me credit and provide a link back. Students and teachers can also quote images or text for their non-commercial school activity. It's also OK to do an artistic copy of my paintings as a study exercise without asking permission.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Yesterday was our last full day in Ireland, and we drove all around west Clare.

I did this little sketch while having a cup of tea at an outdoor cafe in Ennis.

This is my fourth trip to Ireland. The first was 16 years ago. We revisited some of the same places we were acquainted with before, and they haven’t changed too much, other than a small “suburban-style” development on the fringes, a cell tower here and there, and a few new windfarms.

We had heard all about the boom and bust of the Irish economy since our last visit, but compared to New York state, the roads were in better shape, and there were fewer closed businesses. And the people are just as charming and warm as ever.

I’ll close with a line we read somewhere: “May the roof of your house never fall in, and those within it never fall out.”

I have to say that motorcycle study is just fantastic, how long roughly did it take? And do you always carry around watercolours to sketch with? At least you got to end your stay whilst the weather was good.

Thanks for sharing all the great experiences you had in Ireland, Jim! Here's hoping you'll get a chance to make it to the Getty for the Gerome show. I got to spend 10-12 hours with my nose about 6" in front of my favorites in late July, and it was INCREDIBLE. Wish I could go back!

I'm on a trip that disallows regular internet use, so I just wanted to chime in, belatedly, and say this entire Irish series of posts (Scart Rd., especially!) exemplify what makes this the best blog going. The posts and the comments have both been incredible.